A chat room is an area on a computer network (including, but not limited to the Internet), where users of the chat room engage in online chat and interaction. Typically, such interactions are text based, although chat applications often support various file-sharing, graphical or video interactions as well. Chat rooms are often implemented in instant messaging (IM) programs or applications. Chat technology has evolved from IM systems towards mobile centric messaging systems. These mobile centric messaging systems are sometime referred to as “Enterprise Messaging” or “Business Messaging” systems. Such systems model conversations, rooms, and so forth, and have gone past the older point-to-point IM systems.
Chat rooms support both one-to-one communication as well as multiple users interacting in the same chat. Typically, users in a particular chat room are generally connected via a shared interest or other similar connection, and chat rooms exist catering for a wide range of subjects.